Epitome Epitome of the Philippic History of Pompeius Trogus by Justin Illustrated

1. Auflage 2025
ISBN: 978-1-80170-278-2
Verlag: Delphi Publishing Ltd
Format: EPUB
Kopierschutz: 0 - No protection

E-Book, Englisch, Band 155, 1214 Seiten

Reihe: Delphi Ancient Classics

Justin was a Roman historian that flourished in the second or early third century AD. Almost nothing is known of his personal history. He composed an Epitome of Gnaeus Pompeius Trogus' expansive 'Philippic Histories', a history of the kings of Macedon, which was compiled in the time of Augustus and is now lost. Like his model, Justin employs numerous digressions throughout, rendering the work more of an idiosyncratic anthology than a strict epitome. Divided into forty-four books, it is one of only five surviving major accounts of Alexander, with important insights into his father, Philip II. Delphi's Ancient Classics series provides eReaders with the wisdom of the Classical world, offering both English translations and the original Latin texts. This eBook presents Justin's complete extant works, with illustrations, an informative introduction and the usual Delphi bonus material. (Version 1)

* Beautifully illustrated with images relating to Justin's life and works
* Features the complete extant works of Justin, in both English translation and the original Latin
* Concise introduction to the text
* Includes John Selby Watson's 1853 translation
* Excellent formatting of the texts
* Easily locate the sections you want to read with individual contents tables
* Includes Justin's rare Prologi, first time in digital print
* Provides a special dual English and Latin text, allowing readers to compare the sections paragraph by paragraph - ideal for students
* Features two bonus biographies

CONTENTS:

The Translation
Epitome of the Philippic History of Pompeius Trogus

The Latin Text
Contents of the Latin Text

The Dual Text
Dual Latin and English Text

The Biographies
Gnaeus Pompeius Trogus
Justin

Autoren/Hrsg.

Epitome, Justin of the

Leseproben

BOOK 2

[1] IN NARRATING the acts of the Scythians, which were very great and glorious, we must commence from their origin; (2) for they had a rise not less illustrious than their empire; nor were they more famous for the government of their men than for the brave actions of their women. (3) As the men were founders of the Parthians and Bactrians, the women settled the kingdom of the Amazons; (4) so that to those who compare the deeds of their males and females, it is difficult to decide which of the sexes was more distinguished.

(5) The nation of the Scythians was always regarded as very ancient; though there was long a dispute between them and the Egyptians concerning the antiquity of their respective races; (6) the Egyptians alleging that, “In the beginning of things, when some countries were parched with the excessive heat of the sun, and others frozen with extremity of cold, so that, in their early condition, they were not only unable to produce human beings, but were incapable even of receiving and supporting such as came from other parts (before coverings for the body were found out against heat and cold, or the inconveniences of countries corrected by artificial remedies), (7) Egypt was always so temperate, that neither the cold in winter nor the sun’s heat in summer, incommoded its inhabitants; (8) and its soil so fertile, that no land was ever more productive of food for the use of man; (9) and that, consequently, men must reasonably be considered to have been first produced in that country, where they could most easily be nourished.”

(10) The Scythians, on the other hand, thought that the temperateness of the air was no argument of antiquity; (11) “because Nature, when she first distributed to different countries degrees of heat and cold, immediately produced in them animals fitted to endure the several climates, (12) and generated also numerous sorts of trees and herbs, happily varied according to the condition of the places in which they grew; (13) and that, as the Scythians have a sharper air than the Egyptians, so are their bodies and constitutions in proportion more hardy. (14) But that if the world, which is now distinguished into parts of a different nature, was once uniform throughout; whether a deluge of waters originally kept the earth buried under it; (15) or whether fire, which also produced the world, had possession of all the parts of it, the Scythians, under either supposition as to the primordial state of things, had the advantage as to origin. For if fire was at first predominant over all things, and, being gradually extinguished, gave place to the earth, no part of it would be sooner separated from the fire, by the severity of winter cold, than the northern, since even now no part is more frozen with cold; (16) but Egypt and all the east must have been the latest to cool, as being now burnt up with the parching heat of the sun. (17) But if originally all the earth were sunk under water, assuredly the highest parts would be first uncovered when the waters decreased, and the water must have remained longest in the lowest grounds; (18) while the sooner any portion of the earth was dry, the sooner it must have begun to produce animals; (19) but Scythia was so much higher than all other countries, that all the rivers which rise in it run down into the Lake Maeotis, and then into the Pontic and Egyptian seas; (20) whereas Egypt, (which, though it had been fenced by the care and expense of so many princes and generations, and furnished with such strong mounds against the violence of the encroaching waters, and though it had been intersected also by so many canals, the waters being kept out by the one, and retained by the other, was yet uninhabitable, unless the Nile were excluded) could not be thought to have the most ancient population; being a land, which, whether from the accessions of soil collected by its kings, or those from the Nile, bringing mud with it, must appear to have been the most recently formed of all lands.” (21) The Egyptians being confounded with these arguments, the Scythians were always accounted the more ancient.

[2] Scythia, which stretches towards the east, is bounded on one side by the Euxine Sea; on the other, by the Rhipaean Mountains; at the back, by Asia and the river Phasis. (2) It extends to a vast distance, both in length and breadth. (3) The people have no landmarks, for they neither cultivate the soil, nor have they any house, dwelling, or settled place of abode, but are always engaged in feeding herds and flocks, and wandering through uncultivated deserts. (4) They carry their wives and children with them in waggons, which, as they are covered with hides against the rain and cold, they use instead of houses. (5) Justice is observed among them, more from the character of the people, than from the influence of laws. (6) No crime in their opinion is more heinous than theft; for, among people that keep their flocks and herds without fence or shelter in the woods, what would be safe, if stealing were permitted? (7) Gold and silver they despise, as much as other men covet them. (8) They live on milk and honey. (9) The use of wool and clothes is unknown among them, although they are pinched by perpetual cold; they wear, however, the skins of wild animals, great and small. (10) Such abstemiousness has caused justice to be observed among them, as they covet nothing belonging to their neighbours; for it is only where riches are of use, that the desire of them prevails. (11) And would that other men had like temperance, and like freedom from desire for the goods of others! (12) There would then assuredly be fewer wars in all ages and countries, (13) and the sword would not destroy more than the natural course of destiny. (14) And it appears extremely wonderful, that nature should grant that to them which the Greeks cannot attain by long instruction from their wise men and the precepts of their philosophers; and that cultivated morals should have the disadvantage in a comparison with those of unpolished barbarians. (15) So much better effect has the ignorance of vice in the one people than the knowledge of virtue in the other.

[3] They thrice aspired to the supreme command in Asia; while they themselves remained always either unmolested or unconquered by any foreign power. (2) Darius, king of the Persians, they forced to quit Scythia in disgraceful flight. (3) They slew Cyrus with his whole army. (4) They cut off in like manner Zopyrion, a general of Alexander the Great, with all his forces. (5) Of the arms of the Romans they have heard, but never felt them. (6) They founded the Parthian and Bactrian powers. (7) They are a nation hardy in toils and warfare; their strength of body is extraordinary; they take possession of nothing which they fear to lose, and covet, when they are conquerors, nothing but glory.

(8) The first that proclaimed war against the Scythians was Sesostris, king of Egypt, previously sending messengers to announce conditions on which they might become his subjects. (9) But the Scythians, who were already apprized by their neighbours of the king’s approach, made answer to the deputies, (10) that the prince of so rich a people had been foolish in commencing a war with a poor one (for war was more to be dreaded by himself at home), (11) as the result of the contest was uncertain, prizes of victory there were none, and the ill consequences of defeat were apparent; (12) and that the Scythians, therefore, would not wait till he came to them, since there was so much more to be desired in the hands of the enemy, but would proceed of their own accord to seek the spoil.” (13) Nor were their deeds slower than their words; and the king, hearing that they were advancing with such speed, took to flight, and leaving behind him his army and all his military stores, returned in consternation to his own kingdom. (14) The marshlands prevented the Scythians from invading Egypt; (15) in their retreat from which they subdued Asia, and made it tributary, imposing, however, only a moderate tribute, rather as a token of their power over it, than as a recompense for their victory. (16) After spending fifteen years in the reduction of Asia, they were called home by the importunity of their wives, who sent them word that “unless their husbands returned, they would seek issue from their neighbours, and not suffer the race of the Scythians to fail of posterity through the fault of their women.” (17) Asia was tributary to them for fifteen hundred years; and it was Ninus, king of Assyria, that put a stop to the payment of the tribute.

[4] Among the Scythians, in the meantime, two youths of royal extraction, (?) Plynos and Scolopitus, being driven from their country by a faction of the nobility, took with them a numerous band of young men, (2) and found a settlement on the coast of Cappadocia, near the river Thermodon, occupying the Themiscyrian plains that border on it. (3) Here, making it their practice for several years to rob their neighbours, they were at last, by a combination of...